


Safe (one-shot)

by rubiphoenix



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 02:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21236315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubiphoenix/pseuds/rubiphoenix
Summary: You’re fine, Eddie. He’s just a man. You’re fine. Nothing is going to happen. His mind raced thinking about what would happen if the bus didn’t arrive. Derry wasn’t a very high-class or safe town, so neither were the people who lived there.





	Safe (one-shot)

Eddie sat bouncing his leg sporadically as he waited for the bus to arrive. The sky was starting to turn grey, and he could tell it was going to rain later tonight. He soaked in the smell and closed his eyes. 

Minutes had gone by in silence before he was startled by large footsteps approaching him. He peeked over to his left to see a man in dirty clothes that were about three sizes too big. He turned away and checked his watch, which he knew was a nervous habit. Taking two deep breaths he focused his attention on the road.

“D’you know when the bus gets here?” a rough voice spoke from his left. Eddie turned his head to see the same man standing closer. 

“Uh um,” Eddies stumbled out, he checked his watch again. “About 7 minutes.” Eddie had memorised the bus route weeks ago.

“Thanks,” the voice came again, even closer this time. Eddie turned his head to the left the smallest amount he could. The man was now sitting next to Eddie on the cold metal bench. His stale scent reached Eddie’s nose, and he had to physically stop himself from gagging. He took another breath, this time a discreetly shallow one and looked away from the man.

_You’re fine, Eddie. He’s just a man. You’re fine. Nothing is going to happen. _His mind raced thinking about what would happen if the bus didn’t arrive. Derry wasn’t a very high-class or safe town, so neither were the people who lived there. He ran a hand through his hair and shivered when a breeze ran over him. A clicking sound caught his attention, and he snapped his head towards the man. The man had a cigarette in his lips and a light in his hands. Eddie froze, his mother’s words replaying in his head. _People who smoke are disgusting, they’re ruining their health. Promise me you’ll never smoke, Eddie bear. _Eddie couldn’t help but stare and furrow his brows at the man.

“What?” The man grumbled; dark violent eyes dug into Eddie’s nervous ones.

“Nothing.” Was all that squeaked out as he abruptly turned away. 

“Want one?”

“Pardon?” Eddie frowned and looked back at the man who held the pack of cigarettes out to him. “Oh, no thank you.”

The man scoffed and shoved the packet back in an oversized pocket of his shorts. “You do drugs?”

“No,” Eddie answered quickly because of course, he didn’t. Why would anyone want to?

“Why not?” Eddie’s breath hitched in his throat and his mind raced again. _Because they’re bad for you. Because they’re illegal. Because ma would have a fit. _They were all valid answers, but instead, Eddie took a breath, trying not to cough from the assault of the man’s cigarette smoke and said,

“Not my scene.” The man-made a humming noise and Eddie hoped that would end the conversation. He wished the stranger would leave him alone for – he checked his watch – three more minutes and get on the bus without another word.

“Y’know they’re good for you right?” Eddie’s fantasy crumbled in front of his eyes. “They release Endorphins. Bet you don’t learn that at school. What year you in?” _Junior. No. What would Stan do?_

“High school.” Eddie smiled to himself, proud of the quick comment.

“No, what _year_? I’m not trying to pick you up, jeez.” The stranger barked, his face tense. His face was round, too round and a five o’clock shadow grew around his dirty mouth. Eddie stayed silent, thinking the man would leave him alone. “I’m a doctor, I know what I’m talking about.”

Eddie tried to subtly move to the furthest side of the bench. _Deep breaths, Eddie. You’re going to be fine. _He fidgeted on the bench, nerves running up his spine. His heart thrummed against his rib cage. He checked his watch, _again_. Two minutes. He looked down the long winding road and thought he saw the front of the bus in the distance.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” The man was loud, and his scratchy voice which only encouraged Eddie’s heart to throw itself into his throat. Eddie thought he felt the man move closer, he felt like he could feel his sticky breath against his cheek. The vile smell of cigarettes wafted between the two of them. Eddie wanted to run, he wanted to run all the home. His skin felt prickly, he could almost feel the grime drip off the stranger and all over Eddie’s cold skin. Breathing was becoming harder by the second and Eddie prayed with everything in him that he wouldn’t fall into an attack.

“Come on kid, I won’t bite.” The man’s sleazy voice echoed through Eddie’s ears and rung through his brain. “I can help you relax, I can get you whatever you need. You look like a xanny type.” Eddie heard the ticking of his watch, the lack of cars on the road and the low, husky breathing of the stranger all taunting him. The air started to become tighter around him, suffocating him where he sat.

Brakes squealed in front and broke Eddie from his cage. The man stood up first, but not before looking Eddie up and down. Eddie’s legs shook as he stood up and walked briskly to the seat closest to the driver. The man was seated close to the back where a light had stopped working, making it darker than the rest of the bus. Eddie faced the front and focused on the road ahead of him.

***

Eight stops later Eddie stepped off the bus with a quiet thank you to the driver and started walking down the few streets towards his house. The air was colder and tiny droplets of rain had begun to fall. He pulled himself into his jacket further savouring all the warmth he could get. But there was something else, something other than the cold wind and the drip on his skin. The back of his head burned, and he felt fear rise from the pit of his stomach. Someone was following him, and he begged it to not be the foul man from the bus stop. But something in him told he was right, that the man had waited for Eddie to get off the bus and follow him home. His breath became ragged as he picked up the pace and turned down his street.

_Why did my house have to be the last one?_ He thought to himself, walking as quickly as possible without making it obvious he wanted to run as fast as he could. The footsteps behind him grew louder. He quickly counted the number of houses before his. _Five more, I can do this. I’ll be fine once I’m home. _That’s when it hit him. His mother wasn’t going to be home for a few more hours. He was going to be home alone.

“Shit,” he whispered under his breath. He watched his house grow closer and closer. “Shit, shit, shit.” The curses stumbled out breathlessly and his brain couldn’t catch up to his feet. They had decided to drag him towards the house across the street. The quaint two-storey he had found himself staring at more than once. _The Toziers_.

He skipped one of the steps of the porch and started knocking quickly at the glass of the front door. He heard a voice from inside the house call out, but he kept knocking, never daring to look behind him. The voice called out again, louder and irritated. Eddie only stopped knocking when the door swung open to reveal the lanky body of Richie Tozier. He was in black sweatpants and a band t-shirt Eddie didn’t have time to recognise.

“Kaspbrak,” his voice spilled out in confusion. Eddie spent no time replying but rather he rushed into the house, pushing past Richie. “Hey!” He turned to face Eddie ready to demand an explanation until saw the terrified expression Eddie held on his face. His eyes softened behind the thick frames of his glasses. “What’s going on?”

“Door,” Eddie was losing more of his control over his breath. His chest heaved up and down and Richie closed the door quickly. Eddie frantically ran his hands over his jacket, then his pants. “Crap.” He had left his inhaler on his desk, not that he needed it. It was more of a comfort thing now. That was when he properly looked at Richie. The tall boy was standing, eyes wide and hands stuck in his messy curls. He took a measured step towards Eddie, eyes flashing all over him.

“What’s wrong?” His eyes didn’t stop scanning his whole body for any obvious injuries. At this point, Eddie was barely breathing, coughing, and he tried to find the strength to say anything.

“Asthma.” Was all he could get out before he broke into another round of wheezing.

“Shit, of course.” Richie stumbles forward, his face at eye level with Eddie’s. His large hands landed on Eddie’s shoulders and gently but quickly directed him to the couch. The journey there felt like a lifetime to Eddie, his lungs squeezing tighter with each step. He felt the soft couch underneath him and kept trying to take a normal breath. Richie sat in front of him and stayed holding onto his shoulders.

“Hey, look at me.” Eddie met his eyes with Richie’s, trying to ignore the flutters that bubbled in his stomach. “Deep breaths, yeah? In your nose, out your mouth.” Eddie tried to breathe, but the air stuck in his throat like a piece of gum. Eddie was starting to freak out, he hadn’t ever gone through this without his inhaler. He needed his breath of fake air. He erupted into a fit of coughs and his chest shook with terror. Richie slid his hands down Eddie’s arms and held his hands tight, never looking away from his eyes. “Kaspbrak, hey. Breath, please, in and out.” Richie’s voice was gentle, and he let his thumbs rub small circles into Eddie’s hand. Eddie focused on Richie’s eyes, a dark abyss he’d be happy to fall into. His first proper breath swam through his lungs smoothly and he gripped Richie’s hands. His shoulder relaxed as more air floated through his chest.

The two boys sat still for a few minutes letting Eddie sink back into a normal breathing pattern. Richie’s hands never left Eddie’s and their eyes never disconnected. Eddie took one final long and deep breath before speaking up.

“Thank you,” his voice was croaky and quiet, and he felt heat race up his neck, embarrassed by the pathetic attempt at speaking. Richie only smiled and pulled him closer, to the point where Eddie was nearly sitting on Richie’s lap. Eddie rested his head on the taller boy’s shoulder, breathing in the musky smell of _the_ Richie Tozier. Richie then gently placed his head over Eddie’s and let his hands roam his small back.

“You really scared me Eds,” Richie spoke into Eddie’s hair, causing a shiver to run down his spine. Eddie was about to comment on the nickname but decided against it and relaxed back into Richie’s shoulder.

Eddie didn’t want his mind to start overthinking everything. He didn’t want to question what was between him and Richie. He didn’t want to worry about what his mother would say, or what the whole town would say. He didn’t want to have to explain it to his friends. He didn’t want to think about the man who had tried to follow him home. He definitely didn’t want to think that Richie was just being friendly.

Eddie wanted to sit with Richie, head on his shoulder and his hand on his back. He wanted to savour the slight breath he could feel on the tip of his ear. He wanted to smell the cheap cologne coming from his neck. He wanted to keep hearing the thump of Richie’s heart through the thin t-shirt. He wanted to stay with Richie, stay where he felt safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this one-shot, I've made this into a proper story on my profile. It would be amazing if you could check it out. I'll be updating it as quickly as I can. :)


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